A Tale of Death
by RogueMoon
Summary: One Shot. A mother tells the story of her son's death. AU KYD timeline.


**Notes: This Takes place in the Alternate Timeline KYD game "Porcilian Empire" I wrote this some time ago and am looking for feedback, positive or negative, to help improve my writing ability. I will also be posting one other PC fictions I did for those who run this campaign.**

**A Tale of Death**

A Legend of the Five Rings Fiction

Written by RogueMoon

**::: :::**

"There are many stories taught to the young of the Crab. Most of them are on the dangers of the Tainted Lands. Most are about battle. Very few are about love. Even fewer are about Love and the Tainted Lands. This is one of those few stories, and I do hope you will forgive me if I show a bit of weakness and shed a tear in the telling. For this is the story of how I lost my son to the Sin of Desire and the Dark Empire.

"He took the name Tadasu upon reaching his Gempukku in the Yasuki's school. He had always been inquisitive; seeking out answers on his own when he could readily receive them if only he asked his betters. But alas, that was not Tadasu's way and perhaps this was his downfall.

"His Gempukku came the year He-who-shall-not-be-named met his end in battle with the Seven Thunders. There was much rejoicing among all clans and even the Crab took a few hours to toast the victory before turning their attention back to the Wall.

"Tadasu was a sight to behold in battle against what was left of the hoarde. He fell easily into his role as a warrior should. But even his fellows spoke of his tendency to ignore the dangers of the Tainted Lands. It was almost as if he thought that with the death of He-who-shall-not-be-named, the lands had become nothing to worry about. And perhaps this was his downfall as well.

"There are many of the Hiruma who live openly in the Tainted Lands. What else can we do? The lands are ours and we will not give them up. Tadasu was one of the same thought. But as always he saught to forge his own path. To learn by doing instead of asking his fellows for knowledge fo what they had done. He did not wish to learn from past mistakes, only his own. And he rarely thought he made any. Above all, I believe this was his downfall. You may be of a different opinion, and that is fine.

"Only a year ago he was lost to us. Only a year ago did he find love. The two are one and the same for he found love with a foul creature of unworldly beauty. A girl wandering the Tainted Lands without protection and no knowledge of the warriors skills.

"That should have made him wary. Others would have killed her outright, I am sure. I was not 'priviledged' to see her beauty until it was too late. Only hear about him praise it every night that he came home to us. He said that she could not come with him because she had lost a friend in these lands and refused to return until she found them.

"He never did tell us who or what this friend of hers was. I do not think she told him. But her beauty. Ah, her beauty… That he spoke of constantly.

"For days after he came home to eat and leave with food for the girl. Then the time between his returns grew into weeks. He didn't want to leave her alone. She needed a protector. Almost half a year after, he told us he wished to marry her. That he was in love and if she would have him, he would make her a Hiruma.

"His father objected and told him that only when the family had met her, could they even begin to consider a marriage.

"Tadasu agreed to bring her home, just for a night. It took weeks for them to arrive and we were ready for any obscenity of the Tainted Lands that had blinded our son and would follow him home. We were not ready for a goddess.

"She was indeed beautiful. Like a porcilain doll. Her shabby clothes reflected the harshness of her journey. She smiled upon seeing us an apologized for taking so long to meet us. She seemed truly sorry that her quest for her friend had driven Tadasu from his home.

"We should have struck her down then. We might have been able to avoid the slaughter that came at dinner.

"We laced the food with jade powder, you see. It nearly killed her and Tadasu. Our son was so tainted that the jade was as poison to him. Anger took him and he lashed out with hideous claws, killing his father and brother. My husband. My son.

"The woman laughed from her place on the floor where the jade had caused her to collapse. She thanked us for giving her a taste of it. She had never been around jade before, didn't know what it looked like or felt like. There was no jade in the Imperial Capitol of the Lost. And now she knew.

"Chikara. She called Tadasu that name: Chikara. Power. Chikara-chan,' she said. Hurt them for me. And then take me away where I can be healed. We can live together as you wish, in the blessed lands. I cannot marry you, but you can protect me.'

"Tadasu was no more. Had been no more for some time. We simply didn't know it.

"I know now that he died a year ago, on the first night he spoke of that creature. And it is my shame that I could not kill him at dinner.

"It is my shame that I did nothing while he slaughtered us. It is my shame that I cry at my own weakness.

"I thank you for listening. I am lucky you came along on this night so full of death. I will be joining my husband and children soon. If you would bee so kind as to remove our heads so that we do not rise to fight you? And perhaps burn this home?

"No. No… Chikara has wounded me beyond help. Even if I were to live, I think the foul taint would take me. Please. I ask that you give me a proper death on this night. It will make this ill-fated dinner rest easier on my shoulders to know that all who were killed by that horrible woman and her beast of a bodyguard were given a proper… rest… yes… I think I shall sleep now."

– Hiruma Kagayaki

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End


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